Second In Line
by SapphireOceans
Summary: Posted by 'Two' at 21.34, 15 July, 2007: "Nine, now eight. Are the rest of you out there?" One post. One fatal mistake. A oneshot from Two's POV.
1. Second In Line

**I wrote this based on some of the events of the preview chapters of 'The Power of Six' inside the back of the special edition of I Am Number Four. There may be an Epilogue.**

**Reviews would be really, really welcome!**

**xxx**

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_**Second in Line**_

I stare at the curser blinking on the screen.

_Enter your message here:_

I have no clue what to write. How to ask them, how to find out with being discovered. My hands are shaking so hard that even if I did know what to write, I'd be hard pressed even to type out the letters. I don't know who they are, know what they look like, know which country they're in. All I know is that there are eight left and I'm next. I look up from the keyboard and can see my face reflected in the computer screen. Anxious almond shaped eyes, the colour of amber. Full lips which are normally curved into a smile. Long, ruler straight black hair surrounding the oval shaped face of a thirteen year old girl with skin the colour of honey. Here they know me as Katey.

Before, they knew me as Daniella.

The time before that, I was Mercy.

None of those names are real. None of them are me. I have no name, only a number. A number that controls my life and that will bring about my death.

I am Number Two. And they are hunting me down.

Tristan's out. He's gone down to the Sainsbury's in the town centre to stock up on food. I hope he brings back some Sensations. Walkers Sensations are my favourite crisps; Thai Sweet Chilli especially. He'd be furious if he knew what I was doing now.

But I have to know.

I can't remember them. That is, I don't think I can. Sometimes, when I screw up my eyes tight and search for the memories, or when I'm drifting on the edge of sleep I see old images, fireworks lighting up the sky, a frightened group of children being led away. And one last cold day in the dark when we went our separate ways. But I'm never sure if these are memories or dreams, or images I've fabricated from what little Tristan has told me.

_Soon, _he says_, when you have your legacies. Then I'll tell you._

But we've been on this planet for seven years and I still am powerless. Still useless. If I had powers I could fight them, instead of sitting here passively in a dark bedroom the size of a broom cupboard in a musty flat in South London. I hate it here. I'll tell Tristan when he gets back that next time _I_ get to choose the place. It was best down in Cornwall, on the South-West coast, where you could stand on the cliff and watch the waves smash down on the sand. I loved it there, especially the sea. Maybe next time we could try the coast again. Wales? I sigh and shake my head. I'm getting distracted. I should really write something; I can't just sit here, staring at an empty blog for the entire night. I have school tomorrow. Eugh. Double Physics. We're not even doing astronomy this term; it's all about Radioactive Materials. And the Physics on this planet is so primitive! I like astronomy even so- Tristan has told me everything- but I don't get to study the planets and stars until Year 11, when I'll be sixteen. And that's ages away! I sigh and stare at the computer screen once more. I really need to stop getting distracted; Tristan will be back soon. I glance at the clock and frown. Tristan should have been back by now actually. He could just be held up in traffic, but that doesn't stop me shuddering. I'll quickly type this post and then I'll call him. I look back at the empty text box and take a deep breath before typing. I carefully tap each key, knowing that getting one word wrong could be fatal and give away my position, resulting in my death. I have to make it ambiguous. But not so ambiguous that they won't recognise it...

Eventually I finish and sit back, biting my lip, re-reading the message over and over. It seems okay...I take a deep breath and click the 'Post' button. The message pops up on the screen.

'_Nine, now eight. Are the rest of you out there?'_

I take another deep breath and lean back in my chair. I signed it 'Two'. Was that too obvious? I'll ask Trisatn when he gets back, never mind if he yells at me. I look at the clock again and worry bubbles up in my stomach; he still hasn't returned. I grab my phone and dial his number.

_Pick up. Pick UP! Please Tristan..._

"Hello?"

"Tristan! Thank God!"

"Sorry, sorry Katey, I should have called..."

"Where are you?"

"At the roundabout, I've got you on loud speaker...Sorry it was hell to find parking..."

"S'okay. When will you be back?"

"Give me twenty minutes; if I'm going to take longer, I'll call you."

"Okay then. See you Tristan."

"Bye Katey. Look after yourself."

"Will do."

He hangs up and I put my phone down on the desk and sigh, before freezing as I hear a grating noise outside. Slowly I get to my feet and flick the light switch, so that the only light is the soft glow from the computer screen. Hardly daring to breathe, I strain my ears, listening desperately. Carefully, I edge towards the door, placing a hand on the handle and slowly twisting it. Tristan has a gun in his room...

I jerk with shock as the front door is forced open with a crash; panic floods through my body, hot and prickly. I can hear them coming. I search desperately around the room, looking for a weapon, and exit, some way to survive. I come up with nothing. There are only two windows in the flat; one in Tristan's room, the other in the kitchen, and I have nothing to defend myself in here, nothing- I freeze, staring at the bedside lamp. When the first Mogadorian bursts into the room, I'm ready.

I leap out from behind the door, wielding the lamp. I've removed the shade and smashed the bulb, so when the bare wire hit's his skin he goes down in a few seconds. I grab the blade from his back and lash out at the next one as he enters, and he dissolves into a pile of dust. Others are coming, I can hear them, and the fear makes it hard to breathe. I turn to leave the room, and glimpse the computer from the corner of my eyes. The computer. The website is still up on the screen. They can use it to find the others. I run to the laptop, fingers fumbling, desperate to quit the page, delete the history. I accidently press refresh. I freeze. A reply.

'_We are here._'

Hope blossoms inside me, and a smile spreads across my face. They are out there. They are safe. I'm still smiling as the Mogadorian grabs me from behind. I struggle, but it's no use. The hand tight around my throat crushes my wind pipe, and I gasp for breath. The sword, when it comes, is almost a mercy.


	2. Epilogue

**I was going to just leave it there, but then halfway through writing the previous chapter, I decided that I wanted to hear a little from Tristan, so I added this epilogue. I cried whilst writing this. But then I do cry a lot. Please review and tell me whether you think my tears were justified or not! Or just review anyway!**

**And a massive thank you to Anni who reviewed the last chapter! Lobe you Anni! *Huggles*!**

**xxx**

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**Epilogue**

I trudge up the dark, dank winding staircase of the flats, wrinkling my nose at the smell. The lift is broken again, and I sigh; we really ought to move. The one advantage of the estate is that no one asks questions; the problem is that it isn't very easy to escape from the twentieth floor, even for a Garde. Especially one who hasn't got her legacies yet. The orange plastic bags bang against my legs and I scowl, though my scowl is lightened when I remember what I've bought for Katey. Her favourite crisps. I grin, picturing her smile. Junk food is a rare treat, but she's been training hard recently. On the rare occasions we have crisps, she always chooses the Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations. We have competitions; we divide the bag and eat our half, and see who can last the longest with getting a drink. She always wins. Plus, we can have a mini celebration; I've decided that we're moving tomorrow. Anything to get out of this dump. And plus, it's the best idea to keep moving. After all, Katey is next on the Mogadorians list. I remember the day when the true gravity of the situation hit me. It was in the middle of her Year Five assembly; she was proudly delivering a speech about how milk was made when she began to scream. I immediately darted from my seat, running over to her, shielding her from curious eyes as she writhed on the floor, her hands clutched to her ankle from which a burning bright light emitted. I took her home at once and the next day we were gone.

I can vividly remember my fear and panic, partially because it has lived with me every day for the last four years. My Katey, my little Katey is next. Her parents died on Lorien, and I am, the closest thing she has to a father, and I intend to act like one. I never found love on Lorien, never had a daughter, but Katey makes up for that; every time I see her warm, generous smile it makes me glow with pride, because she's my girl. I helped her grow up, trained her to defend herself, because I knew we might not have much time before they found One. And I knew that Katey was next.

"Mr Jones?"

I blink, roused from my reverie. "Yes Mrs..." I struggle to remember our old neighbours name, "Cropley?"

"I have a complaint.

I frown. "A complaint?

"Yes. It's your girl up there. I don't know what she was doing, but she was making an awful lot of noise about ten minutes ago. Right inconsiderate of her, especially as my flats straight below yours."

I stare at her, hardly able to comprehend what I'm hearing. My brain feels like it's trying to work through an icy fog. "...Noise?"

"Noise. All banging and shouting- I ask you! What are young people coming too these days- Mr Jones?"

But I'm already gone, dropping the bags where I stood and sprinting as fast as I can up the stairs to the flat. I can hear her voice echoing after me- "Mr Jones? What's wrong?"- but I ignore her. _Katey. Kateykateykatey-_

The door has been blasted off its hinges. I swiftly pull the blade from the sheath in my boot, silently creeping through the flat. It's wrecked; furniture strewn everywhere, glass smashed. Katey's bedroom door is ajar. Slowly I push it open and feel my heart stop in my chest. My breathing constricts.

"No..." I managed to groan, dropping to my knees next to her, ignoring the body of the Mogadorian nearby. "No..."

I gently shift her so she's lying across my lap, cradling her in my arms like I did when she was younger and woke screaming from dreams of our planets death.

"Katey...Kate...Please..."

I rock her, tears rolling down my face, stroking her hair. "Wake up Kate...please wake up, I'm begging you..."

It's no use. I know she won't wake. They've slit her throat and the blood is still flowing, soaking into her white top.

"Please Kate...Please..."

She deserves better to be lying here than with the body of a Mogadorian. One of her killers. I freeze.

The body of a Mogadorian. But Mogadorians don't leave bodies. The realisation hits me at the same time as the fist. I jerk forwards, sheltering Katey with my own body, not caring she won't feel any pain. I grab the knife from the floor and stab wildly backwards, and am rewarded by a howl of pain and a soft whoosh of dust. The knife falls from my hands as I survey the room, noticing more dust staining the carpet.

That's my girl. She gave as good as she'd got.

That's when I notice the computer sitting on the desk. Slowly I shift Katey off my lap, getting to my feet, ignoring the blood staining my jacket. The window open on the screen is a blog. I stare at the page

**Posted by **_**Two**_** at 21.34, 15th July, 2007:**

_Post Deleted._

"Oh Katey...You stupid, stupid girl..." I can't stop staring at the screen. The post below catches my eyes.

**Posted by **_**Anonymous**_** at 21.40, 15th July, 2007:**

_Post Deleted._

Someone replied. I don't know what Katey put, but I can guess, near enough. And it was enough to alert the Mogadorians to her exact position. But it was enough to prove to the others that she is still fighting. Was still fighting. The fight for us is over.

No. I'm wrong.

My fight is only just beginning.

"Time to go Kate."

I pack her stuff in her rucksack quickly, all her little trinkets she loved. Carefully I wrap her body in a soft blue blanket, ignoring the blood. I grab my own bag, slinging it over my shoulder along with hers and gently pick her up. I take the fire exit, managing to reach the car without anyone seeing. I carefully lay her on the floor in the back and begin to drive. It takes seven hours to reach the place, but it's worth it. She loved it here. It's almost 5 in the morning and no one sees me as I carry her body along the footpath, only halting when I reach a point near the cliff edge. Here I set her down and begin to dig. It takes a while, but not as long as it would take for a human, and soon I have a deep hole. The earth smells of salt. I peel back the blanket and take one last look at her face and gently close her eyes. She looks so peaceful, like she's asleep, her lips curved up slightly at the corners, like she's smiling at me.

"Goodbye Kate." I kiss her forehead and reach into her rucksack, pulling out a battered teddy. She used to love him when she was younger and couldn't sleep without him. As she got older, she pretended she only kept him for the memories, but when I'd check on her at night, she'd be clutching him tightly. Carefully, I slide him in to her arms.

"You never could sleep without Mr Ted, could you?"

Tears are falling down my face again as I lower her into the hole I've dug. The soft thud she makes as she hits the ground it the worst sound I've ever heard, but I managed to fill in the hole, despite the broken sobs shaking my body.

I'm her Cêpan. And I've failed her. There is not greater torture to me than that. I should have died, not her. But now there's nothing I can do for her.

As I cover her grave in wild heather, a sudden thought makes me smile for a second. I can't help her but I can help the others. It's what she would want me to do.

Selecting a slab of granite, I pull out my blade. It takes a little while to engrave it, even with the Lorien metal, but I eventually managed, and leave it placed on her head, like a pillow.

_Far from home, but never far from my heart._

_Now you are free to sail through the stars you always dreamed of._

Standing up, I stretch, smiling at the view, at the red and gold rays of sunrise streaking the sky. She always did love it here in Cornwall. And now she can stay here forever. No more running, no more fear. Katey is at rest, here with the roar of the sea and the screech of the gulls and the small of salt in the air. Picking up the bags I take one last look at her grave before heading back to the car. It's time to find the others.


End file.
